Reflective liquid crystal display lithography system

ABSTRACT

A lithography system for forming geometric patterns on a workpiece is described herein. The lithography system may include a reflective liquid crystal display comprising an array of configurable pixels, a radiation source for directing radiation onto the reflective liquid crystal display, a projection system for reducing a radiation pattern reflected by the reflective liquid crystal display and projecting the reduced radiation pattern onto a workpiece, and a stage for holding the workpiece. The lithography system may be used to form geometric patterns on a substrate during semiconductor fabrication.

This is a Divisional Application of Ser. No.: 10/057,706 filed Jan. 24,2002, which is presently pending.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for forming ageometric pattern on a substrate for use in manufacturing electronicdevices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electronic components and interconnect patterns are typically formed onsubstrates such as semiconductor wafers and flat panel displays by meansof projection lithography. As shown in FIG. 1, a projection lithographysystem typically comprises a radiation source 110, a fixed mask with amask pattern 120, a substrate stage 150, and a projection system 130.During the projection lithography process, radiation from radiationsource 110 is imposed on fixed mask 120. Radiation which passes throughfixed mask 120 forms a radiation pattern which is focused ontophotoresist coated substrate 140 by projection system 130, therebyforming a reduced image of the mask pattern on the substrate. Theradiation pattern may represent the geometric shape of an electricalcomponent or interconnect which is to be formed on the substrate bylater processing steps. As shown, projection system 130 comprises animaging lens disposed between the mask and the substrate for reducingand focusing the transmitted radiation pattern passing through the mask.However, projection system 130 may also include a condenser lensdisposed between the radiation source and the mask for directingradiation to the mask as well as filters disposed between the radiationsource and the condenser lens and the projection lens and the mask.Substrate 140 is removably fixed to substrate stage 150. A substratepositioning system may be provided to move substrate stage 150 andsubstrate 140 across the image plane.

Projection lithography operates similarly to typical film developingprocesses where an image contained on a photographic negative is imposedon photographic paper. In most film developing processes, the imageembodied on a photographic negative is enlarged. However, in projectionlithography, the mask pattern image is oftentimes reduced by a factor of2-10× by the imaging lens. When the substrate is a silicon wafer and theradiation pattern represents an integrated circuit structure, the fieldsize of the imaging lens is typically much smaller than the totalsubstrate area which will be patterned and various operational modes,such as a step-and-repeat system, must be employed to pattern the entiresubstrate area.

Projection lithography is currently the most popular manufacturingtechnique for high-volume electronics production. However, fixed maskprojection lithography systems suffer from numerous deficiencies.Electronic devices comprising multiple layers of features requiremultiple projection lithography exposures using a different mask foreach exposure. Changing masks between exposures requires a significantamount of overhead time as each new mask must be accurately aligned andsecured before the projection lithography tool can be brought backon-line for processing, resulting in high manufacturing costs.Additionally, the development of new circuit designs can be impeded bythe long lead-time required to obtain prototype masks from a maskmanufacturer, and significant product development costs may arise ifmultiple mask revisions are required. Moreover, manufacturers mustpurchase, store and maintain a large inventory of masks in order toproduce a variety of electronic devices, resulting in high overheadexpenses. Furthermore, manufacturing efficiency generally requires thata substrate wafer used in semiconductor chip manufacturing only containmultiple copies of a single semiconductor device. Given thesedeficiencies and the fact that projection lithography may contributeapproximately one-third to one-half of the total cost of semiconductordevice manufacturing, significant benefits could be realized ifdifferent patterns could be formed on a substrate without requiring adifferent fixed mask for each pattern.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,419 to Okumura discloses a projection lithographysystem wherein a transmissive liquid crystal display is substituted fora fixed mask. In Okumura, a geometric pattern is formed on thetransmissive liquid crystal display by electrically changing the opticalcontrast of pixels contained in the display. The transmissive liquidcrystal display is then exposed to a radiation source, and a radiationpattern is formed by the radiation which passes through the transmissiveliquid crystal display. The radiation pattern is subsequently directedto a photoresist coated substrate. The Okumura projection lithographysystem allows different radiation patterns to be formed on a substratewithout the need to change, align, and secure a different mask for eachpattern. However, the address electrodes and pixel storage capacitors ina transmissive liquid crystal display may block incident radiation,resulting in reduced radiation throughput for small pixel sizes. Thismay lead to inconsistencies between the desired geometric pattern andthe radiation pattern which is directed onto the photoresist coatedsubstrate. In contrast, reflective liquid crystal displays may be formedwith address electrodes and storage capacitors which do not blockradiation reflected by the display. Hence, substituting a reflectiveliquid crystal display for a fixed mask in a projection lithographysystem may accommodate smaller pixel sizes without degrading theproperties of the reflected radiation pattern.

As a result, a need exists for a projection lithography system whereinan electrically configurable reflective liquid crystal display issubstituted for a fixed mask.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fixed mask projectionlithography system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of aprojection lithography system wherein a reflective liquid crystaldisplay is substituted for a fixed mask.

FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of areflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of anelectrode arrangement in a reflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 4A is an illustration of a positive mode liquid crystal display.

FIG. 4B is an illustration of a negative mode liquid crystal display.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of areflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of areflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of anelectrode arrangement in a reflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of areflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 6D is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of areflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 6E is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of areflective liquid crystal display.

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the absorption spectrum of liquid crystalcompound ZLI-3376-000/100 sold by the Merck Group.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reflective Liquid Crystal Display Projection Lithography System

In the present invention, a reflective liquid crystal display (LCD) issubstituted for the fixed mask in the prior art projection lithographysystem. A geometric pattern is formed on the reflective LCD byelectrically configuring an array of configurable pixels within thereflective display such that each pixel is configured to either areflective or an opaque state. During projection lithography processing,the reflective LCD is exposed to a radiation source. Radiation from theradiation source incident to opaque pixels is prevented from passingthrough those particular pixels; however, radiation incident toreflective pixels is reflected by the reflective LCD, thereby forming aradiation pattern corresponding to the geometric pattern originallyformed on the reflective LCD. The radiation pattern is subsequentlyreduced and directed to a photoresist coated substrate. When theprojection lithography process is complete, the configurable pixels maybe reconfigured in order to form an alternative geometric patternwithout changing the physical location or orientation of the reflectiveLCD with respect to other elements of the projection lithography system.

A representative projection lithography system utilizing a reflectiveLCD is illustrated in FIG. 2. A geometric pattern representing the shapeof an electrical component or interconnect which is to be formed on asubstrate may be created on a computer using a variety of commerciallyavailable computer aided design software programs. Data representing thegeometric pattern may be stored on electronic media such as a magneticdisk or CD-ROM and electronically transferred to imaging computer 260.Imaging computer 260 may process the geometric pattern data and generateoutput signals which are used to form an image of the geometric patternon reflective LCD 220. The geometric pattern may be used to form theshape of an electrical component or interconnect on a semiconductorsubstrate. Alternatively, the geometric pattern may be used to produce afixed mask, which is later used in conjunction with a fixed maskprojection lithography system to form the shape of an electricalcomponent or interconnect on a semiconductor substrate. Identical copiesof the geometric pattern may be electronically transferred to multiplelithography systems in the same manufacturing facility. Additionally,identical copies of the geometric pattern may be electronicallytransferred to lithography systems situated in other manufacturingfacilities located in disparate geographical areas.

A geometric pattern is formed on reflective LCD 220 by electricallyconfiguring an array of configurable pixels within reflective LCD 220.During the projection lithography process, radiation from radiationsource 210 is imposed on the geometric pattern contained in reflectiveLCD 220. Radiation reflected from reflective LCD 220 is reduced andfocused onto photoresist covered substrate 240 by projection system 230,thereby forming a reduced image of the geometric pattern on substrate240. As shown in FIG. 2, projection system 230 comprises an imaging lensdisposed between reflective LCD 220 and substrate 240. Substrate 240 isremovably fixed to substrate stage 250. Substrate stage 250 is connectedto a substrate positioning system which provides for movement ofsubstrate 240 across the image plane. The present invention may alsoinclude a condenser lens disposed between the radiation source and thereflective LCD for directing radiation to the reflective LCD as well asfilters disposed between the radiation source and the condenser lens andthe projection lens and the reflective LCD. These elements are wellknown in the art and have been omitted from FIG. 2 for purposes ofclarity.

Reflective Liquid Crystal Displays

Liquid crystal displays are well known examples of passive displaytechnology wherein ambient light is manipulated to form images.Reflective LCDs are commonly used in projection displays and other suchdevices where light is modulated spatially and/or temporally to formfixed or moving images on a viewing plane. In a reflective LCD, areflective surface is positioned behind a liquid crystal layer. Portionsof the liquid crystal layer may be electrically configured toselectively block or transmit incident radiation. Radiation which istransmitted through the liquid crystal layer is reflected by thereflective surface and transmitted back through the liquid crystallayer.

One embodiment of a reflective mode liquid crystal display isillustrated in FIG. 3A. Reflective liquid crystal display 300 comprisesfront polarizer 310, front substrate 320, front electrodes 330, liquidcrystal layer 340, rear electrodes 350, rear substrate 360, rearpolarizer 370, and reflector 380. Front and rear substrates 320 and 360are preferably formed from quartz glass approximately 1-2 mm inthickness. Front electrodes 330 may be formed on the bottom surface offront substrate 320 and rear electrodes 350 may be formed on the topsurface of rear substrate 360 from a conductive material which isgenerally transparent to radiation from radiation source 210. Forexample, if radiation source 210 emits visible light, front electrodes330 and rear electrodes 350 may be formed from indium-tin-oxide with athickness of approximately 1000 angstroms. Liquid crystal layer 340 maybe formed by sandwiching a layer of liquid crystal material between thebottom surface of front substrate 320 and the top surface of rearsubstrate 360 such that the adjacent faces of the front and rearsubstrates are spaced apart by approximately 10 μm. Typical liquidcrystal displays use a twisted nematic liquid crystal material availablefrom commercial sources such as the Merck Group, RODIC, Hoechst, andothers. Reflector 380 may be formed from a layer of aluminumapproximately 150 nm in thickness deposited on the lower surface of rearpolarizer 370.

In alternative embodiments front and rear substrates 320 and 360 may beformed from soda lime, borasilicate, white crown glass, or other similarmaterials. Additionally, front and rear electrodes 330 and 350 may beformed from transparent conductive materials such as tin-oxide andreflector 380 may be formed from silver or other such reflectivematerials.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, front electrodes 330 are formed on the bottomsurface of front substrate 320 and rear electrodes 350 are formed on thetop surface of rear substrate 360. Each front electrode may be orientedparallel to adjacent front electrodes such that front electrodes 330consist of a series of parallel electrode lines. Each front electrodemay be approximately 200 μm in width, and adjacent electrodes may beseparated by a distance of approximately 50 μm. Similarly, each rearelectrode may be oriented parallel to adjacent rear electrodes such thatrear electrodes 350 consist of a series of parallel electrode lines.Each rear electrode may be approximately 200 μm in width, and adjacentelectrodes may be separated by a distance of approximately 50 μm.

Front electrodes 330 and rear electrodes 350 are typically formedperpendicular to each other such that the front and rear electrode linesoverlap at right angles. A pixel is formed where each front and rearelectrode overlap. Hence, an array of pixels is formed from the combinedoverlap areas between front electrodes 330 and rear electrodes 350. Eachpixel within the array of pixels may be individually addressed byapplying a potential difference (voltage) across a single frontelectrode line and a single rear electrode line.

When a potential difference is applied across a single front electrodeand a single rear electrode, an electric field is formed at the pixeldefined by the overlap area between the two electrodes. The electricfield within the pixel causes liquid crystal molecules in liquid crystallayer 340 to orient themselves with respect to the electric field. Thenematic liquid crystal material in liquid crystal layer 340 may beselected such that the liquid crystal molecules orient themselves toeither absorb or transmit radiation incident to the liquid crystaldisplay when an electric field is present within a particular pixel. Forpurposes of discussion, when a potential difference is applied to apixel, the pixel is considered to be in an ON state. Conversely, when apotential difference is not applied to a pixel, the pixel is consideredto be in an OFF state.

Typically, liquid crystal displays operate in a positive mode where thebackground of the display is light and the image pattern is dark. FIG.4A illustrates a positive mode liquid crystal display where pattern 410is formed from dark pixels 420 on light background 430. In a typicalpositive mode liquid crystal display, the nematic liquid crystal isselected such that radiation incident to the liquid crystal layer isabsorbed when a pixel is ON. Consequently, when a pixel is OFF,radiation incident to the liquid crystal is transmitted through theliquid crystal layer.

Referencing FIG. 3A, radiation incident to a positive mode reflectiveLCD passes through front polarizer 310, front substrate 320, and frontelectrodes 330. At liquid crystal layer 340, radiation is absorbed by ONpixels and radiation is transmitted through liquid crystal layer 340 byOFF pixels. Radiation which is transmitted through liquid crystal layer340 also passes through rear electrodes 350, rear substrate 360, andrear polarizer 370. The radiation is then reflected by reflector 380 andtransmitted back through rear polarizer 370, rear substrate 360, rearelectrodes 350, liquid crystal layer 340, front electrodes 330, frontsubstrate 320, and front polarizer 310. Hence, a positive modereflective LCD generates a negative reflected radiation image pattern.

In a negative mode liquid crystal display, the background of the displayis dark and the image pattern is light. FIG. 4B illustrates a negativemode liquid crystal display where pattern 440 is formed from lightpixels 450 on dark background 460. In a negative mode liquid crystaldisplay, the nematic liquid crystal is typically selected such thatradiation incident to the liquid crystal layer is transmitted when apixel is ON. Consequently, when a pixel is OFF, radiation incident tothe liquid crystal is absorbed by the liquid crystal layer.

As described above in reference to FIG. 3A, radiation incident to anegative mode reflective LCD passes through front polarizer 310, frontsubstrate 320, and front electrodes 330. At liquid crystal layer 340,radiation is absorbed by OFF pixels and radiation is transmitted throughliquid crystal layer 340 by ON pixels. Radiation which is transmittedthrough liquid crystal layer 340 also passes through rear electrodes350, rear substrate 360, and rear polarizer 370. The radiation is thenreflected by reflector 380 and transmitted back through rear polarizer370, rear substrate 360, rear electrodes 350, liquid crystal layer 340,front electrodes 330, front substrate 320, and front polarizer 310.Hence, a negative mode reflective LCD generates a positive reflectedradiation image pattern.

Referencing FIG. 2, data representing a geometric pattern may be storedon electronic media such as a magnetic disk or CD-ROM. The geometricpattern may correspond to an electronic component, interconnect pattern,or other such features which are commonly formed on semiconductorwafers, flat panel displays, or printed circuit boards by means ofprojection lithography. The data may be transferred to imaging computer260 which processes the geometric pattern data and generates outputsignals which are used to form an image of the geometric pattern onreflective LCD 300. More specifically, imaging computer 260 applies apotential difference across selected front and rear electrodes asnecessary to form an image of the geometric pattern across an array ofpixels contained within the reflective LCD. For example, imagingcomputer 260 may apply a voltage of +5 volts to selected frontelectrodes and −5 volts to selected rear electrodes, thereby generatinga potential difference of 10 volts across pixels which are ON. In apositive mode liquid crystal display, the geometric image is representedby dark pixels on a light background, much like a light-field polaritymask in a fixed mask projection lithography system. Conversely, in anegative mode liquid crystal display, the geometric image is representedby light pixels on a dark background, much like a dark-field polaritymask in a fixed mask projection lithography system.

The photoresist used to coat substrate 240 is generally selected suchthat the peak sensitivity of the photoresist corresponds to a range ofradiation wavelengths emitted by radiation source 210. In order toprevent degradation of the reflected radiation pattern, portions ofliquid crystal layer 340 which have been configured to transmit incidentradiation must not absorb radiation within that wavelength range.Similarly, the materials used to form front substrate 320, frontelectrodes 330, rear electrodes 350, rear substrate 360, and reflector380 must be selectively chosen so as to prevent the absorption ofradiation at wavelengths corresponding to the wavelength range ofradiation source 210. For example, if an excimer laser radiation sourcewhich emits radiation with a wavelength of 220 nm is used in conjunctionwith a photoresist having a peak sensitivity of approximately 220 nm,liquid crystal layer 340, front substrate 320, front electrodes 330,rear electrodes 350, rear substrate 360, and reflector 380 must bechosen so as to not absorb the 220 nm wavelength radiation emitted bythe excimer laser. In such an embodiment, liquid crystal layer 340 couldbe composed of Merck Group liquid crystal compound MLC-9300-100, frontand rear substrates 320 and 360 could be formed from quartz glass, frontand rear electrodes 330 and 350 could be formed from In—Sn oxide, andreflector 380 could be formed from silver.

Reflective Rear Electrode Reflective LCD

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of a reflective mode liquidcrystal display which utilizes a reflective rear electrode design.Reflective liquid crystal display 500 comprises front polarizer 510,front substrate 520, front electrodes 530, liquid crystal layer 540,reflective rear electrodes 550, and rear substrate 560. Much likereflective liquid crystal display 300 illustrated in FIG. 3, front andrear substrates 520 and 560 are preferably formed from quartz glassapproximately 1-2 mm in thickness. Front electrodes 530 may be formed onthe bottom surface of front substrate 520 from a conductive materialwhich is generally transparent to radiation from radiation source 210.For example, if radiation source 210 emits visible light, frontelectrodes 530 may be formed from indium-tin-oxide with a thickness ofapproximately 1000 angstroms. Reflective rear electrodes 550 may beformed on the top surface of rear substrate 560 from a highly reflectiveconductive material such as aluminum. Alternatively, reflective rearelectrodes 550 may be formed from a base layer of conductiveindium-tin-oxide with a top reflective layer formed from aluminum oranother conductive material with high reflectivity.

Forming rear electrodes 550 from a reflective material enables thereflective layer of the reflective LCD to be placed directly adjacent tothe liquid crystal layer. Because reflective rear electrodes 550 performdual functions as both electrical connections and radiation mirrors,reflector 380 and rear polarizer 370 required in reflective LCD 300 areno longer necessary.

Liquid crystal layer 540 may be formed by sandwiching a layer of liquidcrystal material between the bottom surface of front substrate 520 andthe top surface of rear substrate 560 such that the adjacent faces ofthe front and rear substrates are spaced apart by approximately 10 μm.Front electrodes 530 and reflective rear electrodes 550 may bestructured substantially the same as front and rear electrodes 330 and350 in reflective LCD 300 such that an array of pixels is formed fromthe combined overlap areas between front electrodes 330 and rearelectrodes 350. As in reflective LCD 300, each pixel within the array ofpixels contained in reflective LCD 500 may be individually addressed byapplying a potential difference across a single front electrode line anda single rear electrode line.

As previously discussed in reference to FIG. 3, radiation incident to areflective LCD passes through front polarizer 510, front substrate 520,and front electrodes 530. Portions of liquid crystal layer 540 withinreflective LCD 500 are configured to either absorb or transmitradiation. Radiation which is transmitted through liquid crystal layer540 is reflected by reflective rear electrodes 550 and transmitted backthrough liquid crystal layer 540, front electrodes 530, front substrate520 and front polarizer 510. As in the previous embodiment, a positivemode reflective LCD generates a negative reflected radiation imagepattern and a negative mode reflective LCD generates a positivereflected radiation image pattern. Similarly, in order to preventdegradation of the reflected radiation pattern, portions of liquidcrystal layer 540 which have been configured to transmit incidentradiation must not absorb radiation within the range of radiationwavelengths emitted by radiation source 210. Furthermore, the materialsused to form front substrate 520, front electrodes 530, and reflectiverear electrodes 550 must be selectively chosen so as to prevent theabsorption of radiation at wavelengths corresponding to the to thewavelength range of radiation source 210.

Reflective Rear Electrode through Substrate Reflective LCD

FIG. 6A illustrates another embodiment of a reflective mode liquidcrystal display which utilizes electrode through substrate addressing toselectively apply voltage to an array of reflective rear electrodes. Insuch an embodiment, a rear substrate provides a third dimension foraccessing the reflective rear electrode terminals. Hence, integratedgate transistor structures may be used to address reflective rearelectrode elements through the rear substrate.

Reflective rear electrodes may perform dual functions as both electricalconnections and radiation mirrors in a reflective LCD. Morespecifically, reflective rear electrodes may control the polarity ofportions of a liquid crystal layer contained within a reflective LCD.Additionally, reflective rear electrodes may reflect radiationtransmitted through the liquid crystal layer of a reflective LCDdisplay. A reflective liquid crystal display may contain an array ofsuch reflective rear electrodes, each reflective electrode defining thesize and shape of a pixel in the reflective LCD.

A reflective LCD utilizing electrode through substrate addressing mayallow for a higher pixel density compared to reflective LCD designs inwhich pixels are addressed through overlapping line electrodes.Additionally, electrode through substrate addressing allows each pixelto be individually addressed. As a result, electrode through substratereflective LCD's may contain very large number of individuallyaddressable pixels which may be addressed simultaneously andindependently.

In FIG. 6A, reflective liquid crystal display 600 comprises polarizer610, front substrate 620, front electrode 630, liquid crystal layer 640,reflective rear electrodes 650, transistor structures 670, and rearsubstrate 680. Front substrate 620 may be formed from quartz glassapproximately 1-2 mm in thickness. Front electrode 630 may be formedfrom a conductive material which is generally transparent to radiationfrom radiation source 210. For example, if radiation source 210 emitsvisible light, front electrodes 330 and rear electrodes 350 may beformed from indium-tin-oxide with a thickness of approximately 1000angstroms. Reflective rear electrodes 650 may be formed above transistorstructures 670 from aluminum. Rear substrate 680 may be a siliconsubstrate and transistor structures 670 may be formed on rear substrate680 using a variety of well known semiconductor manufacturing processes.

In alternative embodiments front substrate 620 may be formed from sodalime, borasilicate, white crown glass, or other similar materials.Additionally, front electrode 630 may be formed from transparentconductive materials such as tin-oxide and reflective rear electrodes650 may be formed from silver or other highly reflective conductivematerials. Rear substrate 680 may be GaAs, InP, or other such materialswhich are used to fabricate semiconductor devices.

FIG. 6B provides an orthogonal view of front electrode 630 formed onfront substrate 620 and reflective rear electrodes 650 formed abovetransistor structures 670 and rear substrate 680. Front electrode 630may be formed as a single electrode element which covers the bottomsurface of glass panel 630 adjacent to liquid crystal layer 640. Asshown in FIG. 6B, reflective rear electrodes 650 may be formed as atwo-dimensional array of electrode elements wherein each electrodeelement is isolated from adjacent electrode elements by insulatingmaterial 655. Insulating material 655 may be SiO₂ or other suchinsulating materials as are commonly used in semiconductor devices.

One embodiment of a reflective LCD utilizing a two-dimensional array ofadjacent electrode elements is described in “On-chip MetallizationLayers for Reflective Light Valves” by E. G. Colgan and M. Uda. (IBMJournal of Research & Development, Vol. 42, No. 3) Colgan describes areflective LCD comprising an array of reflective rear electrodes whereeach electrode is integrated with a gate transistor structure formed ona silicon substrate. A liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between thearray of reflective rear electrodes and a front electrode formed on thelower surface of a glass cover plate. Pixels in the reflective LCD areformed between each reflective rear electrode and the front electrode.

The integrated electrode-transistor structures described in Colgan areformed by medium-voltage CMOS processing techniques commonly used in themanufacture of integrated circuit devices. Each pixel in the reflectiveLCD display has an integrated gate transistor structure and externaldata driver. As a result, each pixel within a reflective LCD utilizingthrough substrate addressing may be addressed independently of otherpixels, and all pixels may be addressed simultaneously.

FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of a reflective LCD which features areflective rear electrode 650′ with an integrated gate transistorstructure 670′. Integrated gate structure 670′ comprises an arrangementof SiO₂ layers, poly-silicon layers, and metal layers formed on Sisubstrate 680 using a variety of well known semiconductor manufacturingprocesses. In order to improve adhesion and reduce contact resistance,reflective rear electrode 650′ is formed from a 150 nm thick layer ofaluminum above a 30 nm thick lay of Ti. A tungsten stud provides aconductive via linking reflective electrode 650′ to integrated gatetransistor structure 670′. Prior to depositing reflective rear electrode650′, the top surface of integrated gate transistor structure 670′ maybe planarized in order to optimize the flatness of the reflective rearelectrode mirror surface. Planarization of integrated gate transistorstructure 670′ may be accomplished by means of a chemical mechanicalpolishing process.

Optical throughput of a reflective LCD depends upon the reflectivity,flatness, and fill factor of reflective rear electrodes 650. The fillfactor is primarily determined by the amount of non-reflective spacebetween the top surfaces of adjacent reflective rear electrodes, such asspace occupied by insulating material 655 described above. As a specificexample, a reflective LCD comprised of 17 μm square pixels with anominal space of 1.7 μm between adjacent pixels has a fill factor ofapproximately 81%. Optical throughput of a reflective LCD isproportional to fill factor, and fill factor is inversely proportionalto the amount of space between adjacent electrodes. Hence, opticalthroughput may be increased by reducing the space between adjacentelectrodes However, this may increase the probability of shorts betweenadjacent electrodes, resulting in non-functional pixels within areflective LCD.

In order to maintain high contrast and uniformity, spacers may be placedbetween reflective rear electrodes 650 and glass panel 620. In order toavoid blocking reflected radiation from reflective rear electrodes 650,spacers may be formed between adjacent electrodes. However, contrastratio of the reflective LCD may be degraded if an excessive number ofspacers is used.

In the previous embodiment, reflective rear electrodes 650 in FIG. 6Awere structured as a two-dimensional array of electrode elements.However, reflective rear electrodes 650 may also be formed as athree-dimensional array comprising multiple layers of reflectiveelectrodes. Each layer may comprise a two-dimensional array ofreflective electrodes with reflective electrodes from one layerpositioned between reflective electrodes from another layer.Additionally, electrode layers may be interleaved in order to minimizenon-reflective space between adjacent electrodes. An insulating materialmay be interposed between the reflective electrode layers and betweenadjacent electrodes on the same layer in order to prevent shortingbetween electrodes.

Each reflective electrode in the three-dimensional array of reflectiveelectrodes may be connected to an integrated gate transistor structureformed on a semiconductor substrate. As a result, each reflectiveelectrode may be addressed independently of other reflective electrodes,and all reflective electrodes may be addressed simultaneously. A liquidcrystal layer is sandwiched between the array of reflective rearelectrodes and a front electrode formed on the lower surface of a frontsubstrate. Pixels in the reflective LCD are formed between eachreflective rear electrode and the front electrode. During operation, apotential difference of approximately 2.5-15 volts may be applied acrossindividual reflective electrodes and the front electrode, such that eachpixel in the reflective LCD is selectively configured to reflect orabsorb incident radiation. Other voltage ranges may also be applied,depending on the structure and configuration of the reflective LCDdevice.

FIG. 6D shows an orthogonal view of a three-dimensional array ofreflective electrodes comprising two layers of interleaving reflectiveelectrodes. Such an array may be used to form reflective rear electrodes650 in FIG. 6A. Referencing FIG. 6D, upper reflective electrodes 650 bare arranged in an alternating grid pattern above lower reflectiveelectrodes 650 a such that a portion of a lower reflective electrode isexposed in the space between any two upper reflective electrodes. Hence,upper reflective electrodes 650 b and lower reflective electrodes 650 aform a three-dimensional “checker-board” array of reflective electrodeswherein alternating electrodes are formed on different planes. In oneembodiment, each reflective electrode in the three-dimensional array ofreflective electrodes measures approximately 5 μm×5 μm, resulting inpixels with an individual area of 25 μm². In alternative embodiments,each reflective electrode may measure 1 μm×1 μm or less, resulting inpixels with an individual area of 1 μm² or less. Reflective electrodeswith smaller or larger reflective areas may be used, depending on theprojection lithography application.

Insulating material 655 may be deposited between upper reflectiveelectrodes 650 b and lower reflective electrodes 650 a, thereby formingan insulating layer between the lower surfaces of upper reflectiveelectrodes 650 b and the upper surfaces of lower reflective electrodes650 a. Insulating material 655 may also be formed between adjacentreflective electrodes on the same layer. For example, insulatingmaterial 655 may be formed between adjacent coplanar reflective upperelectrodes 650 b and between adjacent co-planar lower reflectiveelectrodes 650 a. Insulating material 655 may be SiO₂ or other suchinsulating materials as are commonly used in semiconductor devices.

FIG. 6E shows a cross-sectional view of the three-dimensional array ofreflective electrodes shown in FIG. 6D. As shown in FIG. 6E, lowerreflective electrodes 650 a and upper reflective electrodes 650 b may bearranged in alternating grid patterns such that a portion of a lowerreflective electrode is exposed in the gap between alternating upperreflective electrodes 650 b. Lower reflective electrodes 650 a mayoverlap adjacent upper reflective electrodes 650b; conversely, upperreflective electrodes 650 b may overlap adjacent lower reflectiveelectrodes 650 a. Consequently, non-reflective space between the topsurfaces of adjacent reflective electrodes may be minimized, therebyresulting in a high fill factor. For example, as shown in FIG. 6D,non-reflective space within the three-dimensional reflective electrodearray is limited to areas where adjacent corners of upper reflectiveelectrodes 650 b are separated by insulating material 655. As previouslydiscussed, optical throughput of a reflective LCD is directlyproportional to the fill factor of the reflective electrode structure.Hence, a reflective LCD utilizing the three-dimensional reflectiveelectrode array formed by lower reflective electrodes 650 a and upperreflective electrodes 650 b may offer significant optical throughputadvantages.

Upper reflective electrodes 650 b and lower reflective electrodes 650 amay be formed from a 150 nm thick layer of aluminum. Each upper andlower electrode may be linked to an integrated gate transistor structureby means of a conductive stud formed from tungsten, aluminum, copper, orother such materials. Lower reflective electrodes 650 a are arrangedsuch that the conductive studs connecting upper reflective electrodes650 b to transistor structures 670 are prevented from shorting againstlower reflective electrodes 650 a.

In order to optimize the flatness of lower reflective electrodes 650 a,the top surface of transistor structures 670 may be planarized prior todepositing lower reflective electrodes 650 a Planarization of transistorstructures 670 may be accomplished by means of chemical mechanicalpolishing. A similar planarization process may be performed oninsulating material 655 formed above the upper surface of lowerreflective electrodes 650 a in order to improve the flatness of upperreflective electrodes 650 b. Additionally, in order to improve contrastand uniformity within the reflective LCD, spacers posts may be formedbetween upper reflective electrodes 650 b and glass panel 620. Forexample, insulating material 655 which insulates adjacent corners ofupper reflective electrodes 650 b could be formed to provide spacerposts as described above.

Referring again to FIG. 2, radiation source 210 may be selected to emitvisible light, ultraviolet light, extreme ultraviolet light, x-rays,electrons, ions or other forms of radiation as are commonly used inprojection lithography processing. Generally, the resolution of aprojection lithography system is proportional to the wavelength of theradiation source. Hence, a radiation source which emits radiation with ahigher wavelength is capable of producing finer geometric patternfeatures on a substrate.

In order to prevent degradation of the radiation pattern reflected by areflective LCD, the liquid crystal material contained in the reflectiveLCD must be chosen such that the wavelength of radiation emitted byradiation source 210 is outside the absorption spectrum of the liquidcrystal material. For example, FIG. 7 illustrates the absorptionspectrum for the liquid crystal compound ZLI-3376-000/100 sold by theMerck Group. The absorption spectrum shows that incident light with awavelength greater than approximately 340 nm will not be absorbed by theliquid crystal material. However, incident light with a wavelength of260-340 nm will be absorbed by the liquid crystal material, with thelower wavelength light being absorbed to a greater extent than thehigher wavelength light. Consequently, in one embodiment of the presentinvention, radiation source 210 may be an excimer laser with awavelength greater than approximately 340 nm and the ZLI-3376-000/100liquid crystal compound may be used as a liquid crystal layer in thereflective LCD. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention,an excimer laser with a wavelength of approximately 220 nm may be usedin conjunction with Merck Group liquid crystal compound MLC-9300-100.

Projection System

As previously discussed with respect to FIG. 2, the present inventionmay include a projection system 230 for directing radiation fromradiation source 210 to reflective LCD 220, reducing a radiation patternreflected by reflective LCD 220, and projecting the reduced radiationpattern onto substrate 240. Projection system 230 may include an imaginglens disposed between reflective LCD 220 and substrate 240, a condenserlens disposed between radiation source 210 and reflective LCD 220, andfilters disposed between radiation source 210 and the condenser lens andthe projection lens and reflective LCD 220. The projection system mayalso include a relay system comprising an arrangement of lenses, lightpipes, mirrors, and other such devices as are well known in the art.

An imaging lens reduction factor is determined by several factors, suchas the minimum size of a feature which is to be patterned on a substrateand the size of pixels in the reflective LCD. For a flat panel displayapplication where the minimum substrate feature size is approximately 1μm and each pixel in the reflective LCD measures 10 μm×10 μm, areduction factor of approximately 10× is required between the reflectiveLCD and the substrate such that each pixel in the reflective LCD isequivalent to approximately 1 μm on the image plane. Similarly, in anintegrated circuit application where the minimum substrate feature sizeis approximately 0.5 μm and each pixel in the reflective LCD measures 2μm×2 μm, a reduction factor of approximately 4× is required between thereflective LCD and the substrate such that each pixel in the reflectiveLCD is equivalent to approximately 0.5 μm on the image plane.

Operational Modes

In projection lithography systems used to manufacture integrated circuitdevices, the field size or focal area of the imaging lens is typicallymuch smaller than the total substrate area which will be patterned. As aresult, various operational modes must be employed to pattern the entiresubstrate area.

In a step-and-repeat operational mode, the substrate area to bepatterned is broken up into discrete segments which are patternedsequentially by stepping the substrate across the image plane from onesegment to the next. The stepping movement is performed by a substratepositioning system and the radiation source is normally pulsed off whenthe substrate is moving. In fixed mask projection lithography systems,changing masks typically requires a significant amount of overhead timeas each new mask must be accurately aligned and secured before aprojection lithography tool can be brought back on-line for processing.As a result, manufacturing efficiency dictates that large numbers ofsubstrates are patterned between fixed mask changes, and changing fixedmasks between substrates in a job lot, or in the midst of processing asingle substrate, is not economically feasible in a productionenvironment.

In a reflective LCD projection lithography system, individual pixelswithin the reflective LCD may be configured to absorb or reflectincident radiation without changing the physical location or orientationof the reflective LCD with respect to other elements of the projectionlithography system. Hence, unlike a fixed mask projection lithographysystem, a reflective LCD projection lithography system may be readilyconfigured to form different radiation patterns without requiringexcessive downtime. Consequently, a reflective LCD projectionlithography system may be used to form different radiation patterns ondifferent substrates within a particular manufacturing lot ofsubstrates. For example, in a wafer cassette containing twenty-fivewafers, each wafer may be patterned with a different geometric pattern.Initially, the reflective LCD may be electrically configured to generatea first geometric pattern which is used to process the first wafer.After the first wafer is patterned, the reflective LCD may beelectrically reconfigured to generate a second geometric pattern whichis used to pattern the second wafer. The reflective LCD may besuccessively reconfigured after each wafer is patterned until each waferin the job lot has been patterned with a different radiation pattern.

In another embodiment, a reflective LCD projection lithography systemutilizing a step-and-repeat method may be used to form differentradiation patterns on the same substrate. For example, the reflectiveLCD may be electrically configured to generate a first geometric patternwhich is used to pattern a first portion of a particular substrate. Thereflective LCD may then be electrically reconfigured to generate asecond geometric pattern which is used to pattern a second portion ofthe same substrate. The reflective LCD may be reconfigured while thesubstrate positioning system is stepping the substrate across the imageplane and the radiation source is pulsed off. Using such a method,several different prototype integrated circuit design variations couldbe manufactured simultaneously on the same substrate, thereby reducingproduct development costs. Alternatively, different sized semiconductordevices could be manufactured on the same substrate in order to minimizeunused substrate areas.

Step-and-repeat projection system throughput is limited by the overheadtime required for the stepping, settling, and aligning steps which arerequired for each segment. For large substrate applications such ascircuit boards or flat panel displays, a substrate may comprise a singlerepeating pattern which is imaged on adjacent segments. The edges ofadjacent segments may be “stitched” together by the projectionlithography system such that several segments form a connected circuitpattern. In such an application, a step-and-repeat system must positionsegments very precisely in order to join adjacent segment featurestogether, and positioning errors may cause significant yield loss.

Using a reflective LCD projection lithography system, a repeatingpattern may be imaged onto a substrate by means of a seamless scanningprocess. Pixels in a reflective LCD may be continuously reconfigured inorder to generate a repeating geometric pattern which “scrolls” acrossthe reflective LCD. A particular geometric pattern may be “scrolled” inone direction across the reflective LCD while a radiation stream from aradiation source is directed onto the reflective LCD, thereby creating acontinuously varying reflected radiation pattern. The radiation patternmay be reduced and focused onto a substrate which is moved across theimage plane in a direction opposite the movement of the geometricpattern across the reflective LCD. The speed at which the repeatinggeometric pattern is scrolled across the reflective LCD may becoordinated with the speed at which the substrate is moved across theimage plane, such that a repeating radiation pattern is imaged acrossthe substrate. Because the substrate is moved continuously across theimage plane, the overhead time required to step, settle, and align thesubstrate in a typical step-and-repeat system may be eliminated.Additionally, because the movement of the substrate may be substantiallyseamless with respect to minimum feature size, positioning errors mayalso be greatly reduced.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however,be evident that various modifications and changes may be made theretowithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are,accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictivesense.

1. A method for projecting a plurality of geometrically distinctradiation patterns onto a substrate, the method comprising: providing areflective liquid crystal display comprising an array of configurablepixels, wherein the reflective liquid crystal display comprises at leastone lower reflective rear electrode and at least one upper reflectiverear electrode; forming a first image pattern on the reflective liquidcrystal display; directing radiation from a radiation source onto thereflective liquid crystal display, thereby generating a first reflectedradiation pattern; reducing the first reflected radiation pattern;projecting the first reflected radiation pattern onto a first portion ofthe substrate; forming a second image pattern on the reflective liquidcrystal display; directing radiation from a radiation source onto thereflective liquid crystal display, thereby generating a second reflectedradiation pattern; reducing the second reflected radiation pattern; andprojecting the second reflected radiation pattern onto a second portionof the substrate.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first imagepattern represents a portion of a first integrated circuit device andthe second image pattern represents a portion of a second integratedcircuit device.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second imagepattern is smaller than the first image pattern.
 4. A method forprojecting for projecting a repeating radiation pattern onto asubstrate, the method comprising the steps of: providing a reflectiveliquid crystal display comprising an array of configurable pixels,wherein the reflective liquid crystal display comprises at least onelower reflective rear electrode and at least one upper reflective rearelectrode; scrolling a repeating geometric pattern across the reflectiveliquid crystal display in a first direction; providing a radiationsource; directing radiation from the radiation source onto thereflective liquid crystal display, thereby generating a continuouslyvarying reflected radiation pattern; reducing the reflected radiationpattern; projecting the reflected radiation pattern onto a substratewhile moving the substrate in a direction opposite the first direction,such that a repeating radiation pattern is continuously imaged acrossthe substrate.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the repeating radiationpattern represents a portion of a electrical circuit on a flat paneldisplay.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the radiation source is anoptical light source, an ultraviolet light source, an excimer laser, anx-ray source, an electron source, or an ion source.